Since we’re humans, we will inevitably make mistakes. If we’re wise, we will learn from them. These can be as simple as looking for toilet paper before you sit down, but they can make all the difference in the world. These are the lessons of life. I’ve listed a few that I thought were important to pass on.

Pay off your credit cards every month.

Make sure you have soap and a towel before you step into the shower.

Always read the contract before you sign.

Measure your front door and stairwells before you buy that couch.

Keep an umbrella in your car. If you live in Buffalo, also keep a snowbrush.

Check the milk before you pour it into your cereal.

“Never go in against a Sicilian when death is on the line!” – Vizzini, The Princess Bride

OK, that last one might never be an issue for most, but it doesn’t hurt knowing it.

There are plenty of lessons and we can benefit from them. New York Times bestselling author, Regina Brett, has a whole website devoted to life’s lessons. She published many books on the topic and the lessons have floated around the internet, popping on Facebook®, Twitter®, and Instagram®.

We can learn many of the lessons just reading them, and then applying them in the future. Others, like the toilet paper, need to be experienced a couple of times before you make them a part of your bathroom routine. Some learn this one faster than others do, but it all works out in the end.

Some lessons take more than just failing a couple of times. They take a little more work and planning. When you go camping in the woods, you learn to hang your food up, so animals don’t get to it. You’ll probably only make this mistake once, but you’ll learn and plan better for your next campout.

You make sure you have rope; you search out an optimal site, and find the perfect tree to use. Even then, you may falter and not know the correct knot to use to prevent the animals from plundering your potato chips. Worse yet, you might not be able to get your own food down. It can be a difficult lesson to learn, but once you learn it and apply it, the rewards are worth it.

Anything worth doing is probably going to be difficult. We all want to do well in school, but it won’t come easy. Nope, you’re going to have to study hard. You will have to do your homework and hand it in. You’ll probably not be able to watch TV because you have homework in multiple classes, but that’s the sacrifice for success.

These lessons can give great rewards, but I want to mention one that’s even greater, love. Love is one of life’s lessons that, no matter how much people tell you, you need to experience it for yourself. Love can be the most wonderful feeling in the world and crush you flat at the same time.

When you love someone, you sacrifice other things for that person. Some people change their habits for love, while others hang out with different friends. In mature relationships, you overlook the little things that may have bothered you before. It can be tough some times, but true and everlasting love takes work.

When things don’t work out, the pain can be devastating. A broken heart is probably one of life’s hardest lessons. Depression, loss of appetite, and self-examination, are just a few of the symptoms. You take those risks, because the reward is so great.

The most difficult lessons are those with the greatest rewards. Great rewards are worth it. So, if it is worth doing, do it with all your heart.

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